The Services of the 125th OVI in Shermans army in Ga.

We left Cleveland May 3rd 12M. Marched 15 miles encamped 12 miles from Dalton.
4th 5th 6th Encamped at Harker's fort.
7th Tunnel Hill evacuated by the Rebels.
Sunday the 8th our regiment was sent on a scout. We charged and took Rocky Face Mountain with    loss of 22 wounded 4 killed 2 missing.
9th We were on the skirmish made a charge on Rocky Face Mountain and were repulsed with the    loss of 21 wounded 3 killed - missing.
10th Were relieved from the front.
11th Were on picket.
12th We changed our position and were put on picket.
13th Dalton evacuated we pursued them closely for 15 miles and plundered the city as we passed   through removed the dead from the battle field. I saw the 22 stakes over 22 men we start for ???. 14th Attacked the enemy at Resacea fought a terrible battle we took the reb outer work by a   charge and held them. Our Colonel wounded in the arm, Our colonel commanding the brigade was   wounded in the calf of the leg by a shell. Loss in 125th regiment heavy.
15th The Battle was renewed we fought all day. Hooker took the enemies works on the flank and   all their artillery.
16th The rebs evacuated the work on the night of the 15th we followed them closely 5 or 6 miles   picking up a number of straglers. Scalps of our men were found on bricks with pieces of paper   pinned on them stating what they were agoing to do.
17th Marched 8 or 10 miles passed through Calhoun 3 PM and came upon the enemies rear   guard and fought until 6 P.M. The loss on both sides were heavy.
18th Marched 7 or 8 miles passed through Adairsville.
19th Advanced 10 miles 100 of our cavalry   men found by the road mangled and pierced with their   own bayonets passed through Kingston 12 M.
20th 21st 22nd encamped at Kingston.
23rd Left camp 12 PM and marched 10 miles crossed coosa river about dark and went into   camp12 P.M.
24th We marched 12 miles and went into camped about 6 PM. It rained all night.
25th Advanced 10 miles and came upon the enemy Hooker corps engaged ???.
26th Skirmished all day.
27th Skirmished all day.
28th Skirmished all day our regiment was in advance.
29th 30th 31st Skirmished all day.
June 1st Battle of Dalton
2nd 3rd Skirmished all day the rebs charged our works and were repulsed with great loss.
4th Skirmished all day.
5th On the night of the 4th rebs evacuated their works.
6th We advanced 8 miles in a northeasterly direction.
7th 8th 9th We were encamped three miles from Acford.
10th Advanced 4 miles.
11th Advanced 2 miles and came upon the enemy in force.
9th 10th 11th was good weather for young ducks.
12th Advanced 2 miles and took our position. It rained hard all day.
13th We held our position. It rained all day. We were put on picket at 4 PM.
14th Were on picket advanced our lines at 2 PM 300 or 400 yards with the loss of 2 men
  wounded.
15th The rebs evacuate their outer works and fell back 2 miles. We were in close pursuit driving   their skirmishers before us up to their main force heavy cannonading on our right and left.
16th The rebs evacuate their works before lost mountain. I seen a mule that they had eaten of.
17th We pursued them and skirmished all day (before Kennesaw Mountain). Eve made a charge and drove the rebs. It rained all day.
18th We advanced upon the enemy and fought all day loss in 125 OVI 5 killed and wounded.   Rained all day.
19th We Advanced and skirmished all day. We came upon their main force 2 PM and fought until   dark. Our loss 1 Lt by shell. Very heavy cannonading were kept up all day. It rain all day.
20th We skirmished all day until 4 PM. We opened on Kennesaw mountain from our division 36   cannon which were kept up 2 hours. The rebs did not fire over 50 times.
21st We changed our position to the right at 4 PM. We advanced our skirmish line with the loss of   3 men.
22nd We were in the rear line. We lost 3 men from stray shots.
23rd My birthday, we advanced our lines our regiment went on the skirmish line. Our loss was 15   wounded 2 killed. The rebs made a charge on the 1st Division and were repulsed with the loss of   2200.
24th Were skirmishing all day. Were relieved from the skirmish line at dark.
25th We were on reserve. Heavy cannonading on our left.
26th Were on reserve. Very quiet along the line.
27th We changed our position to the right, at 10 AM our division made a charge and were repulsed   with heavy loss. Our regiments loss is 55 wounded 15 killed. We lost our brigadier general Harker   and adjutant general. We were taken back to our old position at 4 PM.
28th We were on the skirmish reserve.
29th We were on skirmish reserve. The rebs are very friendly and trade tobacco for coffee. We   buried our dead that lay on the field since the 27th. They were a terrible sight and smelled very   bad. They had all their cloths burned off from them. The fire was canned (?) by shell exploding   among the dry leaves.
30th It is very quiet in our front. Not a shot has been fired today. There has been an agreement not   to fire unless one or the other should advance.
July 1st Very quiet in our front. Numerous reports about what is agoing to be did on the 4th.
2nd Early in the morning there was some cannonading. The rest of the day was quiet. At dark we   changed our position to the left and were in the front line.
3rd In the morning we awoke to find the rebs missing. We pursued them immediately and at 5 PM   we came upon their main force. The weather is very hot.
4th In the morning awoke to hear our artillery pounding the Johnies. It is thought that this is their last   ditch this side of the chattahooche river. We packed up our duds to be in readiness for orders. I   had some stewed apples for breakfast. At 12 M we received orders to march. We drove their   skirmishers into their pits before their main force. We threw up breast works and received orders   that we would remain here for the night. We celebrated the 4th by prayer and speaking by our   officers. At 12 PM the rebs evacuated their works.
5th We arose from our soft cots and found the rebs missing. We received orders to march   immediately. Some skirmishing occurred along the road. We advanced to the Chattahoocha river.   We captured a great number of prisoners. We are six miles in a bee line from Atlanta and eleven   by riveroad. I took a walk today. I climb to the top of a high mountain. I see the doomed city of   Atlanta. Their works look to be impregnable. Upon this mountain hangs a reb skeleton by a piece   of hickory bark. It is supposed that he hung himself.
6th We were encamped at vining station.
7th We received orders to move camp. We marched 2 miles and put up gay quarters. We are on   the extreme left of our army. We lay on the river our pickets are one side and the Johnies on the   other.
8th It is quiet along the line. I blew church call in the eve and attended services.
9th Early in the morning orders came to prepare for a scout and leave our baggage. We marched   20 miles to Roswel to support some cavalry that had crossed the river. We arrived at Roswel 3   PM. Cooked supper then forded the river and were put on picket.
10th My bunkmate and I were out foraging.
11th We received orders to cross the river at 12 PM and go into Roswel in the evening. I foraged   some in town in their gardens. I got a good mess of potatoes and beans and onions and 1   cucumber. We had plenty vegetables while on this river.
12th We received orders to march back to our old camp. We arrived there at 1 PM. I fried some   potatoes and onions and laid down to let the flies tickle my nose.
13th We crossed the river and marched 2 1/2 miles and went into camp.
14th We lay in camp near Power's ferry. We had a very hard storm at dark.
15th We lay in camp near Power's ferry in the morning. Joseph Grim came to see me.
16th 17th Camped at Power's ferry.
18th We advanced 5 miles out the Atlanta road. Our regiment was on the skirmish line and I blew   the calls. One time I was so close to them as to hear them say Blow Your Dam Old Bugle You   Can't Get Them Forward but I did. I took Lt Colonels horse through an open cornfield. The   bullets flew by me like hail about me. I captured a very nice tin dish and tea spoon that some reb   officer eat his grub out of only a few minutes before I claimed it.
19th We advanced about a 1/2 mile.
20th We skirmished across peach tree creek and had halted for our artillery and ammunition train   would cross when the rebs threw his main force on our division and Hooker's corps. They were   repulsed with heavy loss. The loss in our division will not exceed 100 while that of the rebs is 500   killed. The battle field was strew with dead rebels. We fought until dark. The Rebel General   Stephens was killed 2 Reb Majors 1 Reb Col.
21st We lay in camp and buried the dead.
22nd On the eve of the 21 the rebs evacuated their works. Very hard fighting on our left. The report   is General McPherson killed. The rebs made a charge and were handsomely repulsed. Heavy   cannonading all day.
23rd The rebs shelled us all day but done no damage as I could learn. We lay behind our works   before Atlanta.
24th We lay behind our works. The rebs give us a shelling but done no damage.
25th We lay behind our works before Atlanta. The rebs shelled us. 3 men wounded in 125 Regt   OVI.
26th Behind our works before Atlanta.
27th Were on the skirmish line 1 man killed. An artillery duel in the afternoon. A very large fire in   the direction of Atlanta.
28th 29th 30th 31st We were behind our works near Atlanta and very heavy cannonading each   day.
August 1st 12 PM received orders to move. We were detailed to build a fort at dark. We were   relieved and encamped in the woods in the rear of the main line of works.
2nd Half of our regiment work on the fort in the forenoon and the other half in the afternoon.
3rd Our regiment worked on the fort.
4th 5th 6th Worked on the fort.
7th Inspection.
8th Worked on the fort.
9th Worked on the fort. Received some heavy guns.
10th We finished our work on the fort.
11th 12th 13th We lay before Atlanta an occasional shell coming into our camp.
14th Inspection 9 AM Church 10 AM. Were went on picket 5:30 PM.
15th We were on picket relieved at 6 PM.
16th Very quiet all day. In the evening we received orders to move.
17th Very quiet.
18th The rebs threw a shell into our quarters throw the dirt in all directions.
19th Lay quiet in camp before Atlanta.
20th 21st Lay in camp before Atlanta.
22nd We were on picket 5:30 PM.
23rd Were on picket. Were relieved 6 PM.
24th Were in camp before Atlanta.
25th Received orders to move at 9 PM. We struck tents and held ourselves in readiness. We left   camp at 12 o'clock at night and marched all night.
26th In the morning we halted a few moments for breakfast. The rebs shelled us but done no   damage. We marched all day.
27th We resumed our march at 8 PM. Marched five miles. We are within three miles of the   montgomery railroad.
28th We advanced our lines marching from 3 PM until 10 PM.
29th We threw up works.
30th In the morning we moved forward marching three miles. We found the enemy drove him from   his works and advanced with 1 1/2 miles of the Macon railroad.
31st We advanced 1 mile the enemy in our immediate front. We threw up rude works.
September 1st We began to destroy the Macon railroad. We destroyed eight miles and turned upon   the enemy who lay in his works at Jonesboro. We completely routed him capturing 2,000   Prisoners, 8 pieces of cannon, all their killed and wounded and their field hospital, and a brass   band that were attending on the wounded.
2nd During the night the enemy retreated. We were in close pursuit. Skirmished all day. We drove   them into their works at Love Joy Station.
3rd We were engaged in building works. Orders read to us that by our flank movement we   compelled the enemy to evacuate Atlanta and that we would return in a few days as we had done   all that was required of us this campaign.
4th Sharp skirmishing all day in our regiment. We lost 3 men wounded 1 killed.
5th We received orders that we were agoing back to Atlanta and prepare to march at 8 PM. We   march beyond Jonesboro. As we were marching into camp the 14 corps played reveille.
6th We changed our position and lay in camp all day. We received orders in the evening to move in   the morning. Our destination Rough and Ready.
7th We marched 11 miles to Rough and Ready.
8th We marched into Atlanta Ga with the stars and stripes hoisted to the breeze. Thus ended the   services of the 125 OVI in Sherman's campaign in Georgia. We are at present encamped 2 miles   from Atlanta on the north side in clean comfortable quarters preparing to make music for the rebs   to dance by in a few week Sherman will do the Calling.

Samuel H. Sidlinger
Principal Musician
125 Regt OVI
Atlanta Ga